Support for war victims is psychological help addressed to people who have experienced war. Its main goal is to work through the trauma and reduce the impact of difficult experiences on the current life. Depending on the problems present, it can take the form of crisis intervention, psychological counseling or long-term psychotherapy.
Why is psychological support for war victims important?
War is a traumatic event that deprives a person of a sense of security and can lead to the development of long-term mental problems. Victims of hostilities often have:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – a disorder that manifests itself m.in. intrusive memories of trauma, panic fear of talking about it and sleep problems. A person with PTSD shows excessive alertness, has nightmares and tries to avoid places and situations that are associated with the harm they have suffered.
- Depression – a long-term, severe decrease in mood, combined with loss of interest, limitation of social contacts, and sometimes suicidal thoughts.
- Dissociative states – disorders in which consciousness is separated from memories and feelings. This group includes m.in. depersonalization and derealization.
- Psychosomatic symptoms – headaches, problems with the digestive system, heart rhythm disorders.
Who can benefit from support for war victims?
Psychological help can be obtained by everyone who has come into contact with war, including:
- soldiers and veterans,
- refugees,
- people who lost loved ones as a result of the war,
- persons providing medical, psychological or voluntary assistance in areas affected by war.